Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet will be Artist in Residence for 2015–2016 Season Encompassing Asia Tour, and Subscription, Chamber and Recital Performances
Seattle Symphony Holds International Piano Competition in September, in Partnership with Washington Performing Arts and Young Concert Artists, with a Jury Chaired by Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Sonic Evolution Expands to Two Events, Co-Presented with Earshot Jazz Festival and Seattle International Film Festival, Including Collaborations with Local Artists Shaprece and Fly Moon Royalty, and filmmaker Bill Morrison

The Late-Night [untitled] Series Features an All American Composer Line-Up Including John Luther Adams’ In the White Silence and Morton Feldman's Rothko Chapel

Seattle Symphony Musicians Featured with Orchestra:

Seattle – Music Director Ludovic Morlot and President & CEO Simon Woods today announced an ambitious and wide-ranging 2015–2016 season, continuing the theme of innovation and exploration for which the Symphony has been celebrated for in recent years, and including a number of firsts for the Orchestra. In Morlot's fifth season as Music Director, the Orchestra will continue to explore diverse repertoire and engage with Seattle's creative community, while opening the season with the first-ever Seattle Symphony Piano Competition in September and closing the season with the first-ever Asia Tour in June.

"Next season I'm thrilled to again explore French and American repertoire, and this time I'll be joined by Jean-Yves Thibaudet as our Artist in Residence for many programs on our season, and our competition and tour," Morlot said. "In the last few years, our programming of contemporary and less-familiar music alongside more traditional repertoire has helped us to create a unique and inspiring musical journey with our audiences, and I look forward to continuing down that path in 2015–2016.”

Woods added, "Seattle is one of America's most forward-looking and creative cities, and our programming is intended to reflect and celebrate that spirit. Next season will be one for the record books, as we embark on our first-ever Asia Tour, expand Sonic Evolution, launch a piano competition, release three new recordings on our own label, and continue our exciting creative journey under Ludovic Morlot's leadership. We're also very proud to unveil our new website today at www.seattlesymphony.org."

Ludovic Morlot will conduct major repertoire including Mahler’s Symphony No. 1; the Fauré Requiem; Berio's Sinfonia for 8 Voices and Orchestra featuring vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth; Martinů’s Symphony No. 4; Dutilleux’s Timbres, espace, mouvement; and Messiaen’s Poèmes pour Mi. This season also marks the first year of a two-year Beethoven Cycle, which will include all nine symphonies and all five piano concertos. This season, Ludovic Morlot will conduct Symphonies Nos. 3, 4 and 7, and Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 3 and 4, featuring pianists Alexander Melnikov, Yefim Bronfman, and Imogen Cooper, respectively.

Principal Guest Conductor Thomas Dausgaard, in his second season with the orchestra, returns to conduct the Seattle Symphony's first-ever performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 10 (Cooke version), Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night and Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4 which is performed in celebration of Nielsen’s 150th Anniversary.

Music Director Ludovic Morlot and the Seattle Symphony will embark on a major tour of Asia in June of 2016. This marks the Symphony's first appearance in Asia and only the second international tour in its 112-year history. The two-week tour will take the Symphony to venues in major Asian cities including the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing, the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai, the National Concert Hall in Seoul, as well as other dates in China and Korea to be announced. The tour programs will include Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World," Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, R. Strauss' Don Juan, Fauré's Masques et Bergamasques, and Gershwin's Piano Concerto and Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major with pianist Jean Yves-Thibaudet. Tour details, additional venues, educational and community events, sponsorship and ancillary events will be announced at a later date

The season will open with Ludovic Morlot conducting French and American works at the Opening Night Concert & Gala on Saturday, September 19. The program will include Bernstein's Overture to Wonderful Town, Copland's Appalachian Spring, and two works by Saint-Saëns: Danse Bacchanale from Samson et Dalila and his final and most exotic piano concerto, the "Egyptian," featuring pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. The program will also include an appearance by the winner of the Seattle Symphony Piano Competition, which will be decided on the previous evening at the competition finals.

The Seattle Symphony names pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet as its Artist in Residence for the 2015–2016 season. One of the most revered pianist of our time, Thibaudet's residency will bring him to Seattle for various performances with the orchestra including Opening Night, Masterworks season, in recital, in collaboration with Seattle Symphony musicians on the Chamber series, as well as teaching opportunities throughout the season. The pianist begins his residency in Septemberas Chairon the seven-person jury for the Seattle Symphony Piano Competition. The residency culminates in June of 2015, when Thibaudet travels with the Seattle Symphony on a tour of Asia, performing Gershwin and Ravel's piano concertos

Ludovic Morlot and the Seattle Symphony will hold the Seattle Symphony Piano Competition, presented in partnership with Young Concert Artists and Washington Performing Arts, in September. The Symphony seeks to recognize and nurture the next generation of exceptional young musicians through this competition, and has partnered with two of the industry’s most influential organizations to offer winners a comprehensive overview and career guidance on navigating the changing landscape of an international performance career. The competition repertoire is French and American, and final rounds will take place during the week of September 15–19at Benaroya Hall. Pianist Jean Yves-Thibaudet will serve as Chair of the jury, which also includes Music Director Ludovic Morlot, Principal Cello Efe Baltacıgil, Young Concert Artists Director of Artist Management Monica J. Felkel, Washington Performing Arts Director of Programming Samantha Pollack, First Chair Promotion Project ManagerJames Egelhofer, and Seattle Symphony President & CEO Simon Woods. The winning pianist will receive a $10,000 cash prize and an opportunity to perform with the Seattle Symphony during the 2016–2017 season

Notable repertoire includes several works that make major use of vocalists, including Berio's Sinfonia for 8 Voices and Orchestra featuring vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth; Fauré's Requiem with soprano Jane Archibald and baritone Nicolas Cavallier; Messiaen's Poèmes pour Mi, also withArchibald; Szymanovsky's Symphony No. 3; and Britten's Nocturne. Both the Britten and Szymanovsky will feature renowned tenor Mark Padmore, and will be performed on a program honoring the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. That program also includes Mendelssohn's Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream and Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture.

In addition to the Opening Night Concert & Gala, other special concert events not included in subscription series include piano superstar Lang Lang performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 and Grieg's Piano Concerto with the Seattle Symphony, screenings of Psycho with live orchestra accompaniment, two Sonic Evolution events, Celebrate Asia, the musical and comedic forces of Igudesman & Joo, and a full line-up of Holiday events.

Among other notable musical explorations of the season are four tone poems by Richard Strauss including Don Quixote, Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, and Also sprach Zarathustra. In addition, composer John Adams will conduct his Scheherazade.2, Violin Concerto in back-to-back weeks with Jesús López-Cobos conducting Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade.

The 2015–2016 season will showcase two U.S. premieres on the Masterworks Season, a co-commission with the National Orchestra of Belgium from Georgian composer Giya Kancheli, which was commissioned following the success of his poignant Styx in Seattle in 2013, and a U.S. premiere by Anna Clyne, co-commissioned with the Orchestre National d'Île de France. The London-born Clyne now resides in the U.S

The Symphony's cross-genre Sonic Evolution is expanding into two concerts in the 2015–2016 season, in celebration of Seattle's rich musical and cultural heritage. The first, titled "Under the Influence," will be conducted by Ludovic Morlot and co-presented with the Earshot Jazz Festival on October 29. The performance features Derek Bermel's Migration Series, Concerto for Jazz Band and Orchestra, which was inspired by painter Jacob Lawrence's The Migration Series, depicting the migration of African Americans from the rural south to the urban north in the early 20th century. Lawrence (1917–2000) was a University of Washington art professor for 15 years. Joining the orchestra for this work is the award-winning Roosevelt High School Jazz Band. Additionally, Seattle-based guitarist Bill Frisell and the orchestra will give the world premiere of local composer Wayne Horvitz' Symphony No. 1. Seattle vocalist Shaprece closes the program with new orchestral arrangements of her music, a soulful blend of modern jazz, R&B and electronica.

The second Sonic Evolution concert, "This is Indie!" will be co-presented with the Seattle International Film Festival on May 13. The concert introduces two world premieres including Michael Gordon's The Unchanging Sea for Piano and Orchestra, featuring pianist and multimedia artist Tomoko Mukaiyama, which will be performed alongside a new film created by indie filmmaker Bill Morrison using historical footage of Seattle; and a world premiere by William Brittelle which blends classical and indie-pop. Additionally, composers William Brittelle, Ryan Brown and Elliot Cole will together create new compositions for Seattle's Fly Moon Royalty, known for their unique mix of blues, hip-hop and electronica. These new compositions and arrangements of Fly Moon Royalty's previous work will create a cohesive narrative thread for the second half of the performance.

The 2015–2016 season of [untitled], the late-night contemporary concerts in the relaxed atmosphere of the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby, consists entirely of American music. The series opens on October 23 with four world premieres by University of Washington composers Richard Karpen, Joël-François Durand, Juan Pampin and Huck Hodge. In February, the Seattle Symphony dedicates an [untitled] performance to renowned visual artist Robert Rauschenberg whose massive Echo hangs in the Grand Lobby, including works by his musical contemporaries John Cage and Earle Brown as well as Christian Wolff's For Boband Morton Feldman's Rothko Chapel. The series closes on April 23 with John Luther Adams' In the White Silence, which evokes sub-Arctic winter. This performance continues the Seattle Symphony's relationship with the groundbreaking composer, whose orchestral work, Become Ocean, caused a sensation at its premieres in Seattle and New York in 2014, and was recognized with a 2014 Pulitzer Prize and a 2015 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for the Seattle Symphony's recording on the Cantaloupe Music label

The Discover Music concert series, for children ages 6 to 11 and their families, is being renamed the Classical KING FM Family Concerts, in recognition of a new partnership with Classical KING FM. Through this partnership, the Seattle Symphony and KING FM will encourage families to participate in enjoying classical music together. The partnership also signals the commitment of both organizations to build the next generation of music lovers. Additional details will be announced later this spring

There are two changes to the Seattle Symphony's subscription offerings for 2015–2016. The Mainly Mozart series is being discontinued to allow for greater flexibility in scheduling, and the opportunity to incorporate music by Mozart and other classical-era composers into the main Masterworks season. Additionally, the Sunday Untuxed series, which was new in the 2014–2015 season, is being discontinued in favor of other product.

The Seattle Symphony will also launch a new website, www.seattlesymphony.org, in conjunction with the new season. The updated site will feature improved functionality and user experience, and richer content to better engage audiences in the performances and activities of the Orchestra. Added features include an interactive calendar and ease of use for both purchases and donations.

MASTERWORKS SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Music Director Ludovic Morlot will lead the Seattle Symphony in 11 of the Masterworks Season's 21-week schedule. He opens the season in September while launching the two-year Beethoven cycle with Beethoven's Symphony No. 4 in a program that also includes Mahler's Symphony No. 1. In October, Morlot will conduct R. Strauss' tone poem, Don Quixote, the first of four Strauss tone poems on the Masterworks season in 2015–2016. Seattle Symphony Principal Viola Susan Gulkis Assadi and Principal Cellist Efe Balticıgil have solo roles in this colorful piece. The concert also includes Brahms' Symphony No. 3. Later that month, Morlot welcomes pianist Alexander Melnikov in his Seattle Symphony debut as he performs Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1. Also on the program is Stravinsky's Symphony in C and Mozart's Symphony No. 41, "Jupiter."

In November, Morlot will conduct the U.S. Premiere of a new work by Georgian composer Giya Kancheli, co-commissioned by the Seattle Symphony and the National Orchestra of Belgium. Also on the program is Brahms' Violin Concerto with French violinist Renaud Capuçon and Martinů's Symphony No. 4. In December, Morlot, the Seattle Symphony and Chorale, soprano Jane Archibald and baritone Nicolas Cavallier will bring Fauré's stunning and serene Requiem to life. Also on the program are Debussy's Danses sacrée et profane featuring Principal Harp Valerie Muzzolini Gordon, and Messiaen's love letter to his wife, Poèmes pour Mi.

In April, Morlot will conduct a performance inspired by William Shakespeare, to mark the 400th anniversary of playwright's death in 1616. The program is Mendelssohn's Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream; tenor Mark Padmore in Britten's song cycle Nocturne, with its eighth and final song a setting of Shakespeare's Sonnet XLIII; Szymanowski's Symphony No. 3 featuring Padmore and the Seattle Symphony Chorale; and Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture. Later that month, Morlot will conduct Dutilleux's Timbres, espace and mouvement, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with guest pianist Imogen Cooper, and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 7.

In June, Morlot conducts two masterpieces of 20th century music, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms and Shostakovich's visceral Symphony No. 4. An additional program in June, only offered on the matinee series, includes Fauré's Masques et bergamasques, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major with Artist in Residence Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World." Morlot closes the regular subscription season with a U.S. premiere of London-born composer Anna Clyne, co-commissioned by the Seattle Symphony and the Orchestre National d'Île de France. Also on the program is Gershwin's Concerto in F featuring Artist in Residence Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. The two final programs also encompass the tour repertoire for the Asia Tour, in June 2016.

Distinguished Artists
This celebrated three-concert series brings world-renowned musicians to Seattle to perform the great works of the solo and chamber literature. The Distinguished Artists series opens with renowned pianist András Schiff who brings a unique program titled "The Last Sonatas" to Seattle. Schiff will perform the final works of master composers including sonatas by Haydn and Mozart, Beethoven's intimate late E major sonata and Schubert's emotionally charged Piano Sonata in C minor. Artist in Residence and leading Ravel interpreter, pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, will perform Ravel's Pavane pour une infante defunte and Miroirs, in addition to two pieces by Schumann, his Piano Sonata No. 1 and Kinderszenen, his playful and innocent reminisces of childhood. Grammy- and Emmy-winning violinist Itzhak Perlman returns to Seattle for the third concert of the series with a not to be missed solo recital.

Baroque & Wine
The Baroque & Wine series, with performances on Friday and Saturday evenings, pairs the rich music of the Baroque era with pre-concert wine tastings. The series begins in January with guest conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni leading a program of Pergolesi, Rameau, Handel and Vivaldi, including Vivaldi's Oboe Concerto in C major featuring Principal Oboe Mary Lynch. In March, guest conductor Stephen Cleobury is joined by the Northwest Boychoir in works by Pucell, J.S. Bach, Handel and Pergolesi. The series concludes in May with Dmitry Sinkovsky who joins the orchestra as not only conductor, but also violin soloist and countertenor, in works by Vivaldi, Corelli, Albinoni, Handel and Locatelli.

Symphony Untuxed
The Symphony Untuxed series is comprised of five Friday evening concerts with an early start time of 7 p.m. and a shorter, no-intermission format. These informal concerts open with an introduction by a Seattle Symphony musician and are followed by post-concert Ask the Artist sessions with orchestra members in the Grand Lobby. Twice during the 2015–2016 season the programs will open with smaller, chamber works, alongside major repertoire for full orchestra, to share a variety of classical ensembles with this audience. The series begins in September with Mendelssohn's String Quartet No. 6 in F minor and Ludovic Morlot conducting Beethoven's Symphony No. 4. In November, Thomas Dausgaard will lead the orchestra in R. Strauss' Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks and Nielsen's Symphony No. 4, "The Inextinguishable." In March, composer and conductor John Adams will conduct Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 3 in C minor and his own Scheherazade.2, Violin Concerto, with soloist Leila Josefowicz. Guest conductor Mikhail Tatarnikov will conduct Glinka's Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla and Dvořák's Cello Concerto with soloist Narek Hakhnazaryan in April. The series concludes later that same month with Ewald's Symphony for Brass Quintet No. 3 and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 7 conducted by Ludovic Morlot.

[untitled]
The 2015–2016 season of [untitled], the late-night contemporary concerts in the relaxed atmosphere of the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby, is entirely made up of music by American composers. The first installment will feature world premieres by University of Washington composers Richard Karpen, Joël-François Durand, Juan Pampin and Huck Hodge. The second concert pays tribute to the avant-garde arts movement of the 1960s, and includes For Bobby Christian Wolff, honoring Robert Rauschenberg; Morton Feldman's Rothko Chapel, a tribute to Mark Rothko; and works by New York School of composers John Cage and Earle Brown. On the final [untitled] program of next season is John Luther Adams' 75-minute single movement work In the White Silence depicting the windswept expanses of the arctic.

Fluke/Gabelein Organ Recitals
This series places three distinguished organists before the magnificent 4,490-pipe, 83-stop Watjen Concert Organ in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium in Benaroya Hall. The three soloists on the series are award-winning Latvian organist Iveta Apkalna, Director of Music at King's College in Cambridge Stephen Cleobury, and Seattle Symphony Resident Organist and Cathedral Organist at St. James Cathedral Joseph Adam.

Chamber Series
Seattle Symphony musicians performing in various small ensembles on the Chamber series will be joined by high-profile guest pianists from the Masterworks subscription series. This intimate series with its unique guest artist collaborations takes place in the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall. The series begins in October with a program of music by Bernstein, Carter, Prokofiev and Shostakovich featuring pianist Alexander Melnikov. February's installment features the music of Rachmaninov, Beethoven, Debussy and Magnard with pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. The final chamber concert of the season will feature Artist in Residence Jean-Yves Thibaudet in a concert with music by Brahms and Dvořák.

Seattle Pops
Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik will begin his third season with the Seattle Symphony in a performance of George Gershwin's American masterpiece, Rhapsody in Blue, with pianist Jon Nakamatsu and vocalist Doug LaBrecque. Conductor Stuart Chafetz arrives in December to conduct the annual Holiday Pops concert in a program that features broadway star Tony DeSare on piano and vocals, and Capathia Jenkins on vocals. Jeff Tyzik returns in February for a concert that pays tribute to The Beatles. In a live symphonic rendition of The Beatles' original songs, Jim Owens, Tony Kishman, John Brosnan and Chris Camilleri will perform in the roles of the original band members, to be accompanied by the Symphony. In April, The Midtown Men, featuring four stars from the original cast of Broadway’s Jersey Boys, perform their favorite sixties hits. The Pops series concludes at the end of May in a sci-fi themed concert with Jeff Tyzik on the podium conducting TV and film favorites, including Star Wars, Star Trek and Avatar.

The Seattle Pops series is sponsored by MCM.

Classical KING FM Family Concerts
The newly named Classical KING FM Family Concerts presents four hour-long symphonic programs for children ages 6 to 11 and their families on Saturdays at 11 a.m. in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium. Formerly called the Discover Music series, each concert is preceded by special performances and activities in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby one hour before the performance. The series will open on Halloween with Magic Circle Mime performing "Phantoms of the Orchestra," a musical adventure that includes Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice,made famous by Disney's Fantasia. The series continues in December as the Symphony performs live from Howard Blake's award-winning soundtrack along with a screening of the cherished animated film,The Snowman. The Seattle Opera Youth Chorus will join the orchestra for the popular song from the film, "Walking in the Air." In March, ensemble Really Inventive Stuff will take part in a vaudeville-inspired production of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. The series closes in May as the ARC Dance Youth Company joins the Symphony on stage for an enchanting performance along with Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns.

Symphony Kids
Formerly known as Soundbridge Presents, this four-concert series aimed at children ages 3 to 5 and their families will take place on Saturdays at 10 and 11:30 a.m. in the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. These 45-minute long interactive concerts will feature Seattle Symphony musicians and other local and guest musicians from a variety of genres. Performances this season include Bash the Trash which explores science, sound and sustainability with fun and funny instruments made from recycled materials; "kindie" artist Caspar Babypants with the Seattle Symphony; award-winning woodwind quintet Windsync performing "Oh the Places You'll Go!" inspired by the writing of Dr. Seuss;and Elisa Barston and Friends which explores musical stories hosted by Barston, Seattle Symphony Principal Second Violinist.

Tiny Tots
The Tiny Tots series, presented by Let Your Music Shine with Lisa and Linda™ is for the youngest music lovers, ages 0 to 5, and their caregivers. These 35-minute performances are highly interactive and are presented in the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. Each of the following programs is presented on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. and on Saturdays at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. The 2015–2016 line-up is: Folk and Fiddlin' Time, Holiday Hooray, Jumpin' Jazz Time, Musical Zoo for Me and You and Shine-time Music Olympics. Pre-concert activities take place 30 minutes before each performance.

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Online subscription renewals are fully automated. Subscribers will receive a unique login name that allows them to see their entire order on the Seattle Symphony website. Subscribers may request changes to their subscriptions and add options ranging from purchasing prepaid parking to requesting wheelchair-accessible seating. Changes to the order will be made instantly, and changes in seating will be made separately, after the subscription renewal deadline has passed. Season brochures are being mailed to current Symphony subscribers, who will have until April 4, 2015, to renew their seats or request seating changes. To receive a 2015–2016 season brochure, please call the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office at (206) 215-4747 or write to Seattle Symphony Ticket Office, Attn: 2015–2016 Season Brochure Request, P.O. Box 2108, Seattle, WA 98111-2108. The brochure may also be viewed online. Subscription renewals will also be accepted in person at the Ticket Office at the corner of Third Ave. and Union St., by phone at (206) 215-4747, by mail at the address above, or by fax at (206) 215-4748.

NON-SUBSCRIPTION PERFORMANCES

Non-subscription concerts and presentations are available exclusively to Seattle Symphony subscribers before they go on sale to the public in August 2015. Highlights include the Opening Night Concert & Gala, piano superstar Lang Lang performing with the Seattle Symphony, screenings of Psycho with live orchestra accompaniment, two Sonic Evolution events, Celebrate Asia, the musical and comedic forces of Igudesman and Joo, and a full line-up of Holiday performances.

The 2015–2016 season will open with Ludovic Morlot conducting French and American classics at the Opening Night Concert & Gala on Saturday, September 19. The program will include Bernstein's Overture to Wonderful Town, Copland's Appalachian Spring, and two works by Saint-Saëns: Danse Bacchanale from Samson et Dalila and his final and most exotic piano concerto, the "Egyptian," featuring pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. The program will also include an appearance by the winner of the Seattle Symphony Piano Competition, which will be decided on the previous evening at the competition finals. Special Gala fundraising packages are available and include pre- and post-concert events. Gala packages must be reserved through the Special Events Office at (206) 215-4856.

The Seattle Symphony’s holiday performances at Benaroya Hall will be highlighted by the orchestra’s two traditional presentations: Handel’s Messiah, featuring Paul Agnew as conductor and tenor, soprano Anna Devin, countertenor Benno Schachtner and the Seattle Symphony Chorale; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, “Choral,” led this year by Andrew Grams and featuring soprano Caitlin Lynch, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, tenor Daniel Shirley, baritone Corey McKern and the Seattle Symphony Chorale. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony will also be performed on New Year’s Eve, followed by an after-party in the Grand Lobby with dancing, a toast and a countdown to 2016. Other holiday performances include Holiday Pops, a program of holiday favorites led by Stuart Chafetz, featuring Tony DeSare on piano and vocals and Capathia Jenkins on vocals; as well as A Festival of Lessons & Carols with the Northwest Boychoir, Vocalpoint! Seattle and the Northwest Sinfonia under the direction of Joseph Crnko.

The Symphony's cross-genre Sonic Evolution concerts celebrate Seattle's rich musical and cultural heritage. The two concerts in the 2015–2016 season will respectively venture into the realm of jazz and film. "Under the Influence," co-presented with the Earshot Jazz Festival, will take place on October 29. The concert includes music by Derek Bermel and Wayne Horvitz, and will feature performances by guitarist Bill Frisell, the Roosevelt High School Jazz Band and vocalist Shaprece. "This is Indie", co-presented with the Seattle International Film Festival, will take place on May 13. The concert will feature two world premieres, a piece written for piano and orchestra by Bang on a Can co-founder Michael Gordon and set against the backdrop of a film co-produced by filmmaker Bill Morrison; and a new work by William Brittelle which blends classical and indie-pop. Pianist Tomoko Mukaiyama will be featured in Michael Gordon's work. The second half of the concert will feature Seattle's Fly Moon Royalty, see above text for additional details.

The eighth annual Celebrate Asia concert will take place on January 31, 2016. The concert will feature Xiaogang Ye's Starry Sky for Piano and Orchestra which premiered at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Pianist Charlie Albright will perform on this program, as will Seattle Asian community choruses in popular folk songs including Jasmine Flower and Arirang. This annual family-friendly event is planned in collaboration with local Asian community leaders, and includes a myriad of pre- and post-concert activities that showcase local performing arts organizations and reflect Asian cultures.

Additional non-subscription concerts include a one-night-only concert featuring piano sensation Lang Lang on Sunday, October 11, 2015, performing the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 and Grieg Piano Concerto, with conductor Jakub Hrůša at the helm. That program will also include Respighi's The Birds and Beethoven's Coriolan Overture. Later that month, conductor Adam Stern leads the Seattle Symphony in a special Halloween concert featuring live accompaniment to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 thriller, Psycho, performed while the film is shown on the big screen above the orchestra. The hilarious duo Igudesman & Joo return on March 3 with a concert that blends classical music, comedy and popular culture.

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

The Seattle Symphony’s extensive education and community initiatives reach more than 100,000 people each year through a variety of programs tailored to meet the needs of various audiences, schools and communities. In the 2015–2016 season the Symphony’s school day concerts will again follow the curriculum of Link Up program, a national program of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. Serving more than 10,000 students in grades 3 to 5 from over 200 schools in 25 districts, these performances give students the opportunity to sing and play their recorders along with the orchestra from their seats in the audience. Ten to 20 Puget Sound schools will have the opportunity to further explore the Link Up curriculum through additional activities and instruction in partnership with a Seattle Symphony teaching artist through a five or ten week residency. This program is offered at minimal cost to all participating schools. In addition to the concerts offered for families, the orchestra welcomes secondary school groups to its Friday Matinee Concerts and Open Rehearsals.

The Seattle Symphony will continue to offer a dynamic season of concerts designed for young people in the 2015–2016 season. The ClassicalKING FM Family Concerts series, consisting of orchestral performances designed for children ages 6 to 11 and their families, takes place four times each year in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium. The Seattle Symphony also offers series aimed at young children and their families: Tiny Tots, featuring Let Your Music Shine with Lisa & Linda™, serves our youngest audiences, ages 0 to 5. Symphony Kids, a series featuring Seattle Symphony musicians and interactive programs for ages 3 to 5, will take place four times next season. Both Tiny Tots and Symphony Kids are presented in the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall.

During the 2015–2016 season, the Seattle Symphony will continue its popular Family Connections program, which invites two young people ages 8 to 18 to attend Masterworks Season, Seattle Pops and Symphony Untuxed series performances FREE with the purchase of an adult ticket. The Symphony’s Community Connections program for nonprofit organizations allows marginalized communities to attend Symphony performances for free, attend pre-concert workshops, and participate in in-depth creative projects. In partnership with Mary’s Place, a homeless shelter for mothers and their children, the Symphony launched the Lullaby Project in 2014, where teaching artists collaborated with expectant mothers and mothers of infants to write personal lullabies for their babies, and their compositions were recorded and performed during an intimate concert at Soundbridge. For another in-depth project, Symphony musicians gave concerts at regional correctional facilities, bringing music to an often forgotten demographic. In the coming season, the Seattle Symphony continues its commitment to nurturing young musicians and will present five Community and Side-by-Side concerts with local high school and youth orchestras.

SOUNDBRIDGE SEATTLE SYMPHONY MUSIC DISCOVERY CENTER

The Seattle Symphony opened Soundbridge Seattle Symphony Music Discovery Center in Benaroya Hall in April 2001, and it continues as a successful and vibrant center for music education. The facility is a hands-on musical playroom with orchestral instruments and folk instruments from around the world. Soundbridge has a workshop and performance space that can be reserved for events, such as musical performances, private teacher recitals and birthday parties, which hosts 18,000 visitors each year, including preschool and elementary visits. Seattle Symphony teaching artists offer programs and classes including Musical Storytime, Orchestra Families and Science of Sound. Families can meet Seattle Symphony musicians in Soundbridge in the First Concert series, where interactive performances allow young families to learn about the featured instrument and musician. For more information, including schedules of classes and special events, visit www.seattlesymphony.org and click on Families and Learning.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

About the Seattle Symphony

Founded in 1903, the Seattle Symphony is one of America’s leading symphony orchestras and is internationally acclaimed for its innovative programming and extensive recording history. Under the leadership of Music Director Ludovic Morlot since September 2011, the Symphony is heard live from September through July by more than 300,000 people annually. It performs in one of the finest modern concert halls in the world — the acoustically superb Benaroya Hall — in downtown Seattle. Its extensive education and community-engagement programs reach over 100,000 children and adults each year. The Seattle Symphony has a deep commitment to new music, commissioning many works by living composers each season, including John Luther Adams’ recent Become Ocean, which won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music and a 2015 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. The orchestra has made more than 140 recordings and has received 18 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades. In 2014 the Symphony launched its in-house recording label, Seattle Symphony Media.

About Benaroya Hall

Benaroya Hall is the home of the Seattle Symphony and venue of choice for many local arts organizations. It is located on an entire city block in downtown Seattle and is surrounded by numerous restaurants, retail stores and parking facilities. The Hall has two performance spaces — the 2,500-seat S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium and the 540-seat Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall — and a 430-stall underground parking garage. Over 450,000 people participate in public and private events annually, making Benaroya Hall the most-visited performing arts venue in Seattle. Benaroya Hall has received numerous awards, including a 2001 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Honor Award for outstanding architecture. Launched in 2012, Live @ Benaroya Hall presents a diverse lineup of jazz, rock, blues, country, pop, alternative and world music concerts. For tickets, additional information, including event listings, rental information and public tour schedules, please visit www.seattlesymphony.org and click on Benaroya Hall.

Support for the Seattle Symphony’s 2015–2016 season is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, ArtsFund and 4Culture.

Major corporate support for the Seattle Symphony’s 2015–2016 season is provided by The Boeing Company, MCM and Microsoft.

The performances of Fauré Requiem is sponsored by the Nesholm Family Foundation.

Rauschenberg [untitled] is generously sponsored by the Bagley and Virginia Wright Foundation.

Major corporate, foundation, and government support for the Seattle Symphony’s 2014–2015 season is provided by 4Culture, ArtsFund, The Boeing Company, Delta Air Lines, MCM, Microsoft, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, New Music USA, The Paul G Allen Family Foundation, and Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.